HAZZAN ALBERTO MIZRAHI, tenor

Greek-born tenor, Alberto Mizrahi, one of the world's leading interpreters of Jewish music, is Hazzan of the historic Anshe Emet Synagogue, Chicago. He has thrilled audiences worldwide in recitals, symphony concerts, and opera. Affectionately known as “the Jewish Pavarotti,” Mizrahi's repertoire, spanning nine languages, makes his performances unique in the field.

He is featured on PBS television in CANTORS: a faith in song and in the PBS Hanukkah Special. He has performed and recorded with the legendary jazz pianist, Dave Brubeck and his quartet (“Gates of Justice”) for the Milken Archive on the Naxos label, and with the great Theodore Bikel (“Our Song”). He has also performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony, Houston Symphony, Pacific Symphony, Washington Choral Society and Symphony Orchestra, Haifa Symphony, Jerusalem Symphony, NDR Symphony, Lithuanian National Symphony, Radio Television Orchestra of Spain and the Sinfonia Krakowia.

Having just performed at the White House Hanukkah celebration and with Genesis at the Crossroads in Casablanca, he also recently appeared with “CANTORS: a faith in song” in Sao Paolo and Rio De Janeiro, in Carnegie Hall for the Zamir Chorale celebration of Israel at 60, and KAVANAH: tradition and transformation, a modern music tour throughout The Netherlands. The 2008-2009 season finds him recording and premiering the highly reviewed “YIZKOR: music of remembrance” with the Afro-Semitic Experience, dueting with Theodore Bikel in the Krakow Jewish Culture Festival, Craig Taubman in the HALLELU Festival, and singing concerts in Athens, Mexico City, and throughout the United States. Hazzan Mizrahi returns to chant at Days of Remembrance, the national commemoration of the Holocaust, in April-‘09 (Capitol Rotunda), tour with the Saffron Caravan Ensemble in Egypt, Jordan, Israel and Australia, and with the Cantors Assembly in Warsaw, Krakow and Jerusalem.

Mizrahi’s extensive discography numbers over 25 CDs including six for the Milken Archive on Naxos, FESTIVAL DELIGHTS, THE HIGH HOLY DAYS (with Schola Hebraeica), BIRTHDAY OF THE WORLD I&II (with the Western Wind Vocal Ensemble), ANSHE EMET LIVE, BIKEL & MIZRAHI: OUR SONG, ALBERTO MIZRAHI: my world, ALBERTO MIZRAHI AT MENUHIN HALL and YIZKOR with the Afro-Semitic Experience.

Cantor Mizrahi is an officer of the Cantors Assembly, on the Board of the Zamir Choral Foundation, Advisory Board of Genesis at the Crossroads and on the faculty of the H.L. Miller Cantorial School-J.T.S., N.Y. He lives in Chicago with his wife, Deborah, and they have one child, Belina, in her second year of graduate school at Yale.

REVIEWS

"Mizrahi was charismatic and fearless, unabashedly emotional… the tone full and golden…he held you spellbound…" (London Times)

"In overall performance terms, however, the entire show is stolen by the glorious, clarion-like voice of cantor Alberto Mizrahi. (Roger Thomas - BBC Music Magazine)